Galaxy S6 receives November 2018 Security Patch; here’s how you can manually set it up

Yes, another official Android roll out was released for the Samsung Galaxy S6. And, no, it’s not a major OS improvement, but still it is something to rely on, especially if we consider that the usual three-year software support just passed for the Galaxy S6. Anyhow, this new OTA brings the November 2018 security patch and it’s currently available in South Africa, with firmware built number of G920FXXU6ERI1.

The firmware is also available online and the full package can be anytime downloaded, which means that the same November 2018 Security Patch can be now manually installed via Odin. Thus, if you want to skip the OTA procedure, you can choose to follow the guidelines explained below and learn how to use Odin for manually setting up the latest Android update that’s officially available for your Samsung Galaxy S6.

Like any other official platforms, this particular update is fully stable so it promises a smooth Android experience for your Samsung Galaxy S6. Moreover, since we’re talking about a security patch, the software is bringing essential bug fixes, stability improvements and, of course, security add-ons which will secure your online profile and your Android activity. Bottom line, it’s more than recommended to flash this official update on your phone.

Manually setting up the November 2018 Security Patch on your Galaxy S6 is an official operation. So, the warranty of your phone won’t get void once you start to follow the steps from below and you won’t lose access to built-in apps in the end. The flashing program that will be used is Odin, an official tool developed by Samsung especially for such flashing procedures.

Good; now for the update operation a computer will have to be at your disposal. There you will need to download the update package along with the other stuffs that will be needed: the Odin program and your phone’s drivers. Hint: install the drivers first – you can use the Samsung KIES utility for getting the right drivers for your handset.

On your smartphone you should complete a backup first. Saving your data shouldn’t be optional even though you will complete an official update operation – in rare situations your personal files might get corrupted or even wiped out while Odin is being used. So, take your time and secure what might be still required afterwards: contacts, call logs, texts, images, videos, audio files, market apps, internet settings, calendar info, saved passwords, EFS folder or IMEI / NVRAM data. Use an external storage device or Samsung’s own cloud storage services for making a general backup. Additionally, choose to sync files with your Google Account or to download and use backup and restore apps from Google Play.

On your smartphone you need to check the USB Debugging feature. This field is located under Menu - > Settings - > Developer Options. Now, if Developer Options isn’t displayed on your phone, don’t panic. Just go to About Phone and start tapping repeatedly on Built Number; after 7 or 10 repeated taps you should receive the ‘you are a developer’ message.

It’s recommended to verify the power that’s left on your Galaxy S6 before starting to apply the November 2018 Security Patch. Also, it’s more than recommended to charge your handset if the power left is lower than 50% as low power means that your phone can get switched off during the update operation. And, sudden shut downs can cause issues on your device and you can, if you’re not careful enough, end up in soft bricking your Android based device.

How to Manually Install the November 2018 Security Patch on the Samsung Galaxy S6

As already pointed out before, on your computer download the required files: get Odin from here and the November 2018 Security Patch from here.

Save both files on desktop.

Run the Odin executable file and follow on-screen prompts for installing the flashing program on your computer.

Power off your smartphone and then reboot it into download mode: press and hold the Power, Volume Down and Home buttons together, for a few seconds.

Run the flashing program on your PC.

Use the USB cable and connect your Galaxy S6 with your computer.

Now Odin must recognize your device; if everything works as expected on the program you should see the ‘added’ message displayed and the ID:COM section turned yellow or blue; if not, choose to reinstall your phone’s drivers on your computer before retrying.

Click on the AP button and then select the update package from desktop.

When asked, make sure that the Re Partition and Auto Reboot options aren’t selected.

In the end the ‘pass’ message will be returned and the ID:COM field will be turned green.

Close Odin and remove the USB cord; also reboot your smartphone.

Done.

What problems can be experienced and how to address them

That last reboot is going to take a while, so be patient. However, if somehow you notice that your phone is stuck in a boot loop try to follow: enter your Galaxy S6 in recovery mode (press and hold Power, Volume Up and Home buttons together); in recovery make a hard reset and choose to clear app data cache – just select ‘wipe data factory reset’ followed by ‘wipe cache partition’; when done, return to main menu of recovery and select ‘reboot system now’.

Odin might get stuck while you are trying to follow and apply the steps explained above. If that happens try to: force-close Odin and its associated processes – do it from Task manager (press the Ctrl+Alt+Del keyboard hotkeys); then, unplug the USB cable; and choose to force-restart your smartphone; afterwards, reinstall your Galaxy S6 drivers on your computer; and repeat the update steps from the beginning.

Final thoughts

Good work. Now the November 2018 Security Patch is running on your Samsung Galaxy S6. Do test the new Android functionality and if you find something in particular that’s worth mentioned, don’t hesitate and share it with us and with the other users who might rely on your objective opinion – you can easily get in touch with us by using the comments field from below. That was all for now, stay close for more similar update tutorials and other useful tips and tricks available for your Samsung Galaxy S6.